Chain wax - yay or nay?

[Dylan]

Hey guys just wondering if anyone here has used a chain was on their bikes? I’m looking for a decent recommendation and if they’re worth using?


Thanks,
Dylan.

[Thoglette]

Use the search, Luke

And you'll find that I'm a fan of old fashioned waxing.

[10speedsemiracer]

Don't think you'll find the definitive answer that you're looking for, neither here nor in any similar forum. Lots of variables, lots of YouTube talking heads extolling the virtues of wax vs lube vs whatever.

FWIW I'm a dry lube/wet lube person after the factory lube has gone.

[familyguy]

I've recently done a 3rd chain with the melted paraffin method (aka the 'elaborately slow dipping mechanism'). First one ran for 250km till it needed redoing, but I think I used the wrong wax. 2nd and current setup have 200km+ with no signs of noise as yet, used a pure paraffin instead for those.

Upside: far quieter, far cleaner.
Downside: prep for first time waxing involves REALLY cleaning them (turps bath till it stays clear, metho, let them dry), you have to clean the cassette, jockey wheels and chainrings completely as well, you gotta re-dip them every 300-350km or so as the noise increases.

Going to do another one next week which will mean my 3 main bikes all run wax-only chains.

[Thoglette]

If there's no rain I relube at 500km. I'm currently trialing the rotate-three-chains method (the idea being that the cassette and chains wear together so I should get over 30,000km from the set)

[cjrich]

Tried chain waxing, too much stuffing around for me, back to RocknRoll Gold. May try again at some time.

[bychosis]

Tried chain waxing, too much stuffing around for me, back to RocknRoll Gold. May try again at some time.

I haven’t tried waxing. Sounds like to much hassle, I’ll stick with rock n roll.

[familyguy]

The test is "can you grab the chain and not get black sh*t all over you?" For me, not getting gunky black liquid on everything when you have to change a wheel is worth 15 minutes every month.

[P!N20]

The test is "can you grab the chain and not get black sh*t all over you?"

No. This also applies to everything within a 10m radius.

[MattyK]

Do it, love it. Candle wax. Slow cooker. KMC quick link.
Chain is lasting a long time, is mess free.
The initial cleaning process and the routine cleanings are easy and really don't require much effort at all, don't let it scare you off.

[RonK]

Tried chain waxing, too much stuffing around for me, back to RocknRoll Gold. May try again at some time.

I haven’t tried waxing. Sounds like to much hassle, I’ll stick with rock n roll.

RocknRoll Gold is good, but RocknRoll Holy Cow is even better, no faffing around and no black gunk.

[MichaelB]

As others have mentioned, it seems to be an IN or OUT decision.

There is a local here who is more than knowledgeable re this stuff, Adam Kerin from Zero Friction Cycling.

Whilst he's on about friction savings (which I couldn't really care about), a big aspect of his testing is also about wear & longevity. The link below has some interesting results re the latter points ;

https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/lubetesting/

Worth having a read of his stuff. Some interesting data there.


Oh, and I currently use Smoove, which is one of the better tested drip waxes, but will soon give waxing a go

[P!N20]

RocknRoll Gold is good, but RocknRoll Holy Cow is even better, no faffing around and no black gunk.

Ooh, will have to give that a go (after my industrial sized bottle of Gold runs out sometime in 2053.)

[bychosis]

RocknRoll Gold is good, but RocknRoll Holy Cow is even better, no faffing around and no black gunk.

Ooh, will have to give that a go (after my industrial sized bottle of Gold runs out sometime in 2053.)

Ditto. Some how I managed to order a second one though so will prob be a few more years after.

[foo on patrol]

Can't be stuffed, stuffing around with wax. I clean them in petrol, hose off, let dry oil up and for my Track chain, I soaked in auto transmission fluid and placed on a rag.

Foo

[warthog1]

I tried that RnR gold once.
Driveline became noisy very quickly.
Combined with the need to apply a shi ite load of it and at frequent intervals due to the noise, I classified it as uneconomical on the roadie.

[baabaa]

For me on the single speed (or hub geared), yes strip the new chain from the hopeless shipping muck with a few soaks in kero so you have a clean base and a few boil ups in paraffin wax. Like the old 5 and 6 speed chains they are solid chunky things and suck up the wax well so are easy to maintain and re wax. Paraffin waxed chains certainly sound better for longer than most other lubes.
With modern 10/11 speed chains, nope don't bother as they are built to wear by using soft metal so just not worth the effort. That said, from this bloke who knows his stuff, and points out it is pretty hard to find a bad modern chain lube now
http://g-tedproductions.blogspot.com/20 ... s-and.html

[Arbuckle23]

I keep reading about wax. Every time I look I see that most seem to have several chains on the go and change then every 300 km or so.
Way too much stuffing around, changing chains all time, for me.
I just use a lube I get from cycling deal. When I give the bike a good wash the chain gets done as well.
Then, dry off and relube. Wipe excess off. After next ride, wipe off a bit of dripped out excess again.
Check every week or so, or if I get caught in the rain. Wipe off any gunk with a rag and apply a small top up lube.
I got 7000 km out of my last chain and still was not worn out.
I measure with a vernier, not a chain seller , oops, sorry checking tool.

Edited for some spelling typos

[10speedsemiracer]

.
.
.
I measure with a vernier, not a chain seller , oops, sorry checking tool.

I actually lol'd, thank you.

[OnTrackZeD]

I got 7000 km out of my last chain and still was not worn out.
I measure with a vernier, not a chain seller , oops, sorry checking tool.

I just change a chain at just over 7k and 0.5% wear but other bike I change at 0.75% which I use a chain checker that the first time I used I compared it with a steel ruler and it was spot on.

Wax I tried it once and not for me, it put more resistance into the drive train till it warmed up.

[uart]

I just change a chain at just over 7k and 0.5% wear but other bike I change at 0.75% which I use a chain checker that the first time I used I compared it with a steel ruler and it was spot on.

Nice to see that you got good agreement between both methods. I've never even owned a chain checker, I always just use a steel rule. I measure 12 links along the top of the chain (so that I can put it under mild tension) and typically change at 12.1 inch.

[Duck!]

I always just use a steel rule. I measure 12 24 links along the top of the chain (so that I can put it under mild tension) and typically change at 12.1 inch.

Fixed for you. Chain links are 1/2" pitch.

[Duck!]

With modern 10/11 speed chains, nope don't bother as they are built to wear by using soft metal so just not worth the effort.

No, they're made of the same stuff, but being narrower the contact load is concentrated on smaller contact areas, increasing the point load.

[baabaa]

With modern 10/11 speed chains, nope don't bother as they are built to wear by using soft metal so just not worth the effort.

No, they're made of the same stuff, but being narrower the contact load is concentrated on smaller contact areas, increasing the point load.

Oh that's good to know. So where I can get the 10 or 11 speed version made with this metal?


Name your price, am a buyer as these do last for many, many kms and even years.

[10speedsemiracer]

Probably should warn people before posting NSFW images such as these...